Month: September 2019

How to turn your candles too wax melts and save broken candles!

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Had enough of throwing away your left over wax at the bottom of your candle knowing that you could easily get a little bit more burning time out of it? Well you can! You’ve got two options when trying to save your candles wax and i can tell you how.

I did a post like this on one of my old blogging sites long forgotten and thought I’d do another one today as spent my day doing. Basically Elijah had knocked something a few months ago that made my cabinet wobble and my burnt once Yankee candle hit onto another causing a hairline crack. When candles are heated they basically explode if the slightest crack or smash has happened. Basically a big danger. Not ready to let go I kept it to side till I had a jar large enough for it. So now I have enough candles that are finished its the time to do it!

First method to make a wax melt.This step cannot be done to broken jars so here goes. This is how I make wax melts so I can keep the party going for much longer.

Step one: Boil the kettles and pour it over the candle to near the top.

Step two: Walk away and leave it too cool till wax has hardened, you will need about a hour or so.

Step three: Simply push your hand down on the wax at top to break it apart and pull or bend and snap the wax to get out.

Step four: Pour water down sink and with a blunt knife scoop anything left at bottom into a bag or container except the metal bit and wick that goes in the bin. You may need to break it up.

Step five: Clean the jar with toothbrush and water if you want to use it again and remove stickers from outside. You can use it for another candle or storage such as keeping sweets/ snacks/ toiletries in. If you don’t want to keep it you can now recycle the glass at a bottle bank. Fun fact you can’t acturally recycle candles that have wax attached to them still some places won’t accept them.

Step 6: When you are ready break a little off and put in your wax melter and relive your beloved candles smell.

Second method now. Saving a broken candle. First you need to be careful and not cut yourself. If the candle is smashed bad this is not possible but if little smash or crack like mine which got worse as I tried to get wax out first than it is possible!

Step one: Put kettle on and boil water. Place candle in saucepan on a hob.

Step two: Pour the boiling water around candle. Turning on the hob to heat it up. It should melt like this.

Step three: Now till wax has melted near to top with about a cm left where you can still see middle isn’t melted all the way through and still hard.Turn heat off.

Step four: Get a pair of tongs or pliers and lift the wick gently and slowly it should all come together with the bit of metal, slowly transfer into your new jar in the middle with metal down in the middle.

Step five: With oven gloves, carefully Pour the wax from the candle into a glass jug then pour carefully around the candle not touching wick.

Step six: Leave it to harden then like magic you have a new candle!

A proven money saver and environmentally friendly way to enjoy your candles that little bit more. The candle will tidy itself up as it burns!

What do i prefer a Kindle or a book?

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Something i have always loved is reading since having a child i kind of let it slide into the background picking up a book maybe once every other month or so and not completing it. Since Elijah started to get into a bit of a routine and i have given up social media more i am enjoying the free time and using that time getting into a good book so my love of reading is back.

I’m trying to go through my book shelf and finish off my books i’m yet to read so i can buy more on my kindle. I recently was brought by my lovely husband a new kindle after my old one bust and i love it. It is so light and easy to read from and is back lit so i can read i’m the dark. I can read for hours without getting tired arms which i find i do reading books. I don’t requite a bookmark to not loose where i am i simply close my case and it saves the page and turns off.

I quite enjoy the new book smell and going into a book shop and choosing a new book and its a perfect thing to buy as a gift and others can borrow your book. However… i can order a new book CHEAPER from my phone and read immediately wherever i am taking up the least amount of space in my bag. I also don’t like the paper wastage of all the books i have and that books sometimes cannot utilise the space well.

However this is good for reading for children books they are black and white so children are not as engaged with the little colour so would be best for a older child young adult. So i will stick to proper books for our little guy for now although he does have a kindle fire and enjoys some books in colour on there.

Baby sensory was it worth attending classes?

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Something i had seen as a new mum looking on Instagram and Facebook I’d see advertisements for baby sensory classes. Eager to make new friends and get out of the house on my own and not be nervous going out just the two of us we signed up. Our first class Elijah was around 8 weeks and we followed the classes till about 8 months. I will be as honest as I can with this post so mothers can see what the groups really are like.

First of all the people who attends the classes. I was so eager to make friends with people just like me with mums who where in the same boat exhausted tired and trying to navigate the mum world. I found out very quickly the people who attended where quite posh. I mean I have nothing wrong with posh people but it made me feel a little shit. There I was in my baggy maternity jeans and my hair looking like a birds mess against my red patchy skin, while the mums come in dolled up and in designer clothes I was jealous. The mothers seemed to be in friendship groups and make no effort to talk back to you when you spoke to them. A few of them seemed more interested in looking like a good mum and attending to their needs before their child’s I.e taking photos more than engaging in singing and sensory activities. I remember one time a mother turned up half an hour late to class and decided to eat her sushi in the middle of class before realising it wasn’t appropriate to eat seafood around children that could have unknown allergy’s. The only time I was late I was helping an old lady who had fell over and was bleeding heavily on the pavement till a ambulance turned up and didn’t make a big deal as I rushed in! True story my friend came with me to try the class this day and watched Elijah while I was in the floor looking after her! When mothers brought their husbands they got in the way of other mothers and children attending the class sitting in the way or taking toys away. I met one nice lady who id walk to town with and back but I didn’t make any friends. Not that I was disappointed when I heard them moaning about other mums and comparing children’s developments. Weaning early to judging mothers choice of food.

Lesson structure, there would be a song at the start which is the hello sun and learn sign language. There would be a few songs and use of bells, maracas and different objects each week. There would then be half hour of solo play with the bits she’d leave out such as ball pits, sensory objects, blankets, crunchy material, toys,musical instruments, books exetera. Then we’d return for a few more songs and a big group song where we’d do things like have bubbles lights off with disco lights on and use covers with holes and balloons.

Price, Well when I first started it was a fiver a session and you had to pay all at once for a term. It was term time so there’d be weeks without lessons which kind of sucked and the woman who run it would cancel often for sickness or weather and only offer a extra session next term or a lesson for a friend not a refund. Steadily the longer we went it went up to about 8 pounds a lesson and for 30 minuites if singing and 30 of free play I didn’t find it worth it in the end. I’ve been to community centre classes which had no structure and terrible compared to these classes however.

Did your baby like it? Yes my baby adored the classes and I feel it was so good for his development. I copied things I saw in class and brought them for home and did things at home too. We learnt lots of songs and he seemed to like being around other baby’s. I felt like he was always smiling when he could. It was a great bonding experience just us and it was nice to get out of the house us too. It gave me enough courage to go out just me and Elijah and it’s something I’m grateful for as I now have the confidence to go to other classes and talk to other mums and strangers.

How long did I go? I stopped going when Elijah started crawling I think he became too old for some things and I decided it was too expensive. I would have to pay to get there and as it was at lunch time I’d have to go buy my lunch straight after. Elijah would need a feed and scream wherever I ate down and it became a very stressful experience.some of my friends who had babies after me attended the classes and went till just over a year.

Just a photo that makes me chuckle

My struggle with weight gain after having a baby.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Everyday I look in the mirror and wonder why I haven’t woken up skinny again and how it’s just not fair. My body image is something I really struggle with and don’t think I ever will accept either. I never paid attention to my weight gain because it was too late. Illnesses, pregnancy and work related stress all contributed to this body that won’t just pop back into place.

I try to live healthy I can be healthy all week, exercise, eat right and then I see no weight loss and end up reaching for the just eat app or raiding my cupboards to put it all back on again. I’m a comfort eater and if something gets to me I instantly reach for food and it makes me feel better, chocolate, cakes, crisps and fried foods are my weakness and I’m not afraid to admit it.

It’s so hard to not gain weight after a baby. First of all you eat lots when pregnant no idea why but you do. After everything’s a quick instant meal when you can a takeaway here a chocolate bar there just so you can look after a baby and chase a toddler. You have no time to go to a gym or childcare. You can’t afford a gym pass either when you know you’ll go once a month if that. Taking the time to cook food is difficult when your toddler/ baby is screaming for attention. Your body can sometimes struggle to breakdown weight when tired and if not sleeping enough or suffering medical issues like me it’s even harder.

I’m constantly seeing posts from people who say love your post natal body! You’re body’s beautiful when these fake woman just want likes on their posts. You don’t love your flab, you don’t love your empty belly that’s still hanging away over your trousers. You don’t love your stretch marks that stretch across your body replacing your once soft and smooth skin. It is more than okay to hate your post natal body or if you can’t have children and have a jelly belly or stretch marks with no story to show it’s okay to. We let go and get comfortable in baggy clothes and eating to block out the pain but when is enough enough?

Today I decided enough is enough. After I’ve demolished my cakes and food this weekend I’ve brought I’m back on the diet and going to eat veg and healthy snacks when I’m feeling emotional. I’m going to exercise and wear and use the clothes and equipment I spent a small fortune on gathering dust. I feel good when I eat good and exercise my body just feels good.It’s gonna be hard work but I need to accept my body. I’ve done so well loosing so much weight that I’ve dropped 4 dress sizes which I’m proud of but the progress has been slow. I look at time hops and see how I used to look and I miss it so much when I didn’t worry about my weight and ate what I wanted. I accept my body. I don’t like it but I accept it and I will improve it. If not for me but for my health.

Where i buy my toddlers clothes.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Something I get asked a lot is where I shop for Elijah. Ever since he was little I’ve always brought him the best and adore what he wears. I’d never put him in something I wasn’t jealous they didn’t sell in a adult size. I may look like a bucket of poop but my son sure as hell is going to look rad. His wardrobe is bigger than mine and that’s saying something!

So where do I buy his clothes? Well I normally buy Elijahs clothes on the high street. I buy some designer stuff but I buy it on sale in a size up or tk maxx its all about being vigilant with a good bargain. So where do I shop?

H&M they are really good for tops with animals and they’re only like 2.99 a top which is quite good in 2-3 years.

Primark I buy jeans from you can’t really tell where they are from and get worn so quickly it’s worth just replacing them on the cheep. They also sometimes have some good tops and bits and pieces.

Next. Next is my favourite most of the stuff I buy Elijah is from their everything’s a good quality, washes well and looks amazing. I normally won’t buy Elijah a coat from anywhere else but next they’re very thick and great material. A bit more pricey but you can get some good multipacks deals and they always have sales on.

Joules. I love joules but will only buy him bits on sale or deal.

Jojo maman Bebe. Absolutely love their bits and always will.

M&S. A lot of people forget they sell clothes and sometimes they do really cute bits although a bit dear.

Gap. I love gaps clothes and sometimes will buy a bundle.

Supermarkets. I’ll often buy rain Macs and bits that catch my eyes here. I buy a lot of Elijahs shoes and wellies from Asda.

Blue zoo. They’re jeans are great quality and look great on and they have lots of nice tops and jumpers too.

Boots. I love their pjs and have brought Elijah lots here. I’ve brought him a denim jacket recently and new pjs and a dressing gown and he looks cute as heck.

Boden. I love their leggings and buy from here when I can.

Mothercare. Not just for baby’s although a lot of the store is genuinely for baby’s. Should be called baby care!

The monochrome baby. I brought personalised bits in the past with Elijahs name and age on and they have lasted so long and not faded or become less soft atall and cheep considering completely personalised.

Overall I’ll shop anywhere really but I love buying in store and I’ve also been known to sniff out a second hand bundle or two in my time!

Are we letting children spend too much time on tablets?

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

As a parent we all wonder what are we doing right and what are we doing wrong. Being born into age of increasing growths in technology it’s hard not to fall down the rabbit hole.

I brought Elijah a kindle for kids about 4 months ago. I brought it because I decided that I didn’t want to let Elijah use my phone as he’d go on different things I wanted to teach him my phone is mine and his tablet is his. The kindle for kids is also smash proof and replaced if smashed and I control everything he can go on, watch and download. I control how long he can watch things on there and turn off from my phone if he’s being a horror. We use it for films, books and games but mainly films. We typically try to use the tablet no more than two hours a day so it has a timer on and will shut down when it reaches that timer. I like to make sure Elijah spends a lot of time playing with his toys and probably watch a bout 2 hours of kids tv on the tv with him a day too which isn’t much but when I think about how annoying kids tv it’s quite a lot. Elijah normally has a hour on his tablet before his dinner and the other hour whenever he asks for it which he doesn’t much. Today is the first time Elijah has used his kids earphones, they are so quiet and cosy for him and he will never be aloud to wear them when not sitting next to me.

I honestly think there’s no harm in them watching kids things on phones or tablets for little instalments throughout the day and it’s good for them. Elijah watches a lot of animal songs and nursery rhymes and sings them and says almost every animal name on videos he watches. It also keeps him distracted sometimes so I can cook dinner in peace without him screaming dinner at the stair gate. I also let Elijah use my phone on the bus to watch nursery rhymes so he behaves and doesn’t get bored sometimes he doesn’t use it but when he’s particularly moody I let him watch on my phone. I don’t judge other mothers for their child’s use of tablets and phones. If it works for your family it works for your family. Just so long as your child’s learning and not just watching pointless rubbish all the time and still gets out and plays with toys then what’s the harm?!

Endometriosis and me.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

What is endometriosis? Basically the lining of your uterus grows elsewhere in your body. It can fuse to your bowels and your bladder exetera. Every month when your period comes that lining everywhere sheds. You essentially internally bleed for several days. It causes unbearable pain, problems urinating/pooping, feeling sick, feeling weak, severe mood swings and exhaustion. It can cause heavy bleeding also which is highly debilitating when you’re filling heavy flow pads every two hours. It can also cause a painful sex life.

I am under gynaecology after countless trips to doctor and a and e with the pain (it’s so severe it can feel like appendicitis). Painkillers help but don’t always fully ease the symptoms. Since having a caesarean section I have a lump of tissue which has grown at my scar line which caused me a big deal of concern finding this bobbly lump. I’ve had numerous ultrasounds and blood work and abdominal and vaginal examinations. I’m currently waiting for my smear as mine had to be cancelled due to having to have my coil removed as a emergency in hospital it will of removed some of the cells. I’ve been put on waiting list for surgery to explore the degree and burn some off and I’m not sure if i want it. I’ve heard from a lot of people who suffer too that it has come back after the surgery and I don’t want more risky surgery for no reason.

It’s that time of the month again where my periods are late some months and I’ve spent the last week thinking I’m pregnant. I’ve come on overnight which is why I always wear pads when late or my poor white sheets would of been destroyed. Being young and having severe pain every month can be very depressing. It’s gotten worse since I have had my son and I worry about my fertility being taken away from me one day even if right now I’m choosing to not have another baby just yet. One thing I’m glad about stopping work is not having to spend a ten hour shift on a busy ward feeling like my stomachs being ripped apart with an ice-cream scoop. I’m exhausted drained and have no idea what to do.

Right now I’m taking my painkillers and trying to distract myself when in pain. I’ll be completely exhausted and sleepy all day for days (I bleed so heavily due to my Von williebrands and endometriosis I get anaemia each month). I have an appointment with gynaecology again before my smear test so hopefully they can help explain the positive of the surgery and you know how to deal with chronic pain for the rest of my pre-menopausal days. I guess it could always be worse but it could sure as hell be better.

Hypnobirthing and our experience.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Hypnobirthing was something my Midwife’s recommended and I signed up for a the start of my pregnancy. We started our classes at around 30 weeks and we had 4 two hour classes over the next five weeks out with a weeks break in the middle.

What is hypnobirthing? Basically it’s preparing your self for birth. It’s sort of like getting yourself into a state of complete relaxation as a couple while in childbirth. It’s using the mind to relax. You’re given scripts and a book to practise at home where you talk through the scripts and relax sort of in a state of hypnosis.

Every week we’d begin with being talked through stages of labour and understanding it. We where talked through any questions we have by the midwife who taught the course. We then would have a break and then she would make the room dark we’d sit in a comfy area and do a script. In some scripts our partners would be in charge of stroking our arms to a pattern to relax us, hole our belly weight with a scarf and various other things. The voices would be quiet whispering and you’d use your imagine to drift off.

The scripts worked really well and I really enjoyed the class. I drifted off into complete relaxation and the scripts helped me at home to relax. It made me think of things to get like massage oil, Lavander essence, Led tea lights and lot more to use in labour.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to have my natural labour but I definitely would of used it and it really helped me relax and feel more in control when doing it. The best thing for me was though the one couple we spoke to turned out to become one of our best friends and a bridesmaid at my wedding.

A Caesarean section is NOT the easy way out.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

Let me break this down for everyone there was NOTHING, NOTHING easy about me having a c-section. And when someone says it was the way way out it boils my blood and makes me furious to the extent I see red. Today somebody said it was the easy way out to me again and i wanted to scream. This may trigger some people who have had a stressful birth.

I had a section almost 2 years ago now. There was nothing easy about it. The anxiety I was going to die, the procedure itself, the recovery, the struggle to breastfeed, the struggle to bond just everything was not EASY. It has been 2 years and I still feel pain when I lift something to heavy or move into a funny position, when I stand completely straight or wear tight clothes I feel like my csection scar is going to rip open and my muscles feel pain like they’re being ripped apart again.When people want to make competition out of their child birth it sickens me a bit. So what you had a baby naturally and did something that’s been done for millions of years but it does not give you the right to judge others for choosing what is what is best for them and their baby. Having a baby with no complications naturally you can go home the same day and start your life. You can walk around and carry on life as normal.

With a csection you cannot just get up straight after having your baby to settle them as they cry because you’re paralysed by the drugs and pain at first. The first time you get up you require two staff members to help you out as you SCREAM in pain as your stomach muscles awake to the fact they’ve been ripped apart and it feels like it’s happening over again with no pain relief. The first time you stand up your blood gushes down your legs. Oh yeah, you bleed and hurt down below it’s not just you natural birthers that get the blood and pain as your body reacts to the baby leaving. We also get pain when peeing and pooing too. Oh yeah and imagine your first poo and pee but you’ve had all your stomach muscles ripped open aswell! Ha is it easy now to imagine pushing out a poo when your in so much pain you might just throw up too? Walking is agony, your breathless and exhausted from the surgery you stand up straight and it’s agony in your stomach. Weeks after you’ll struggle to sit up, cough, laugh or walk. You’ll struggle to breath sometimes it hurts so much. You’ll get severe back pain from the medication and ginormous needle they shoved in your back which you can feel on a cold day or just sitting years and years later you can feel exactly where the medication and needle was pushed in. If you had spd you don’t heal as quickly from not having a natural childbirth. You mentally never get over not having a natural birth and if you had to get put to sleep you never, ever get over missing your child’s birth. So the next time you want to say “too posh to push” or “the easy way out” you better count yourself lucky you never had one and hope you never have to. Most importantly keep your backwards judgements to yourself because of that csection and medical intervention mum and baby survived and without it they probably wouldn’t of.

Having a zoo pass.

by Charlie-Jane, posted in Uncategorized

For years i wanted a zoo pass but have always thought, will i go enough? The answer has always been yes! I go at least twice a year and in those two trips i could of saved money having a pass. Since having a little one we have wanted to go and more but is such a expense so we bit the bullet and i brought them with my last paycheck. Since having the zoo pass we have been as a family 3 times. We have been with our friends 2 times and have saved lots of money on food, gift shops and even get a discount for friends and family. I even made my best friend get one and she goes all the time now!

Colchester zoo is the nearest zoo to us and we love it. It’s a short journey and there are so many animals and its so big! We never get bored and there is always plenty to do which is free. There is face painting, train journeys, enclosure walk throughs, shows and talks aswell as feeding of animals you can watch all in your visit. There’s plenty to eat and different places to go so there are lots of options from a restaurant to fast food places which we save 20% on! The gift shop is absolutely huge and we save 10% on everything! The soft play is pretty good and also free so if you wanted to take your child to soft play with a pass its essentially free!

My little guy is obsessed with big cats so he loves seeing the lions, baby tiger cubs and the cheetahs. He loves the big animals like elephants and giraffes and when hes older we will let him feed them! we love going on the train to walk around the lemur enclosure and running through the sea lion tunnel. We love letting him run round and burn all his energy and choose where he wants to go and its such a fun day out always.

It’s something i would recommend to everyone that goes to zoo at least once a year as it’s something that can be enjoyed all year long especially with toddler.It may be expensive at first but it saves so much in the long one and is cheaper than trips to various other places you would end up going instead.